Not news: woman cleans tools and loses them. Is news: IN SPACE.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/11/18/endeavour.spacewalk/index.html

I'm kidding about the whole women being bad at tools thing.

Among the other items lost in space:

...a 14-inch spatula while testing a method to repair the space shuttle.

Beginning to think I could get an astronaut gig

"No, I've not studied astrodynamics, my experience lies mainly in bodging expensive machinery with kitchen utensils."

Great, we've lost a $600 hammer and a $1200 grease gun in one shot. And God knows what the six in one screwdriver cost.

Luke wrote: Among the other items lost in space: ...a 14-inch spatula while testing a method to repair the space shuttle. Beginning to think I could get an astronaut gig "No, I've not studied astrodynamics, my experience lies mainly in bodging expensive machinery with kitchen utensils."

NASA embraces Schroedering

I've been away from the Space Coast for a measly three months and they're already launching Shuttles without me knowing about it? Damn.

NASA embraces Schroedering

You would be amazed. Nasa is a government agency after all.

Wally wrote: Great, we've lost a $600 hammer and a $1200 grease gun in one shot. And God knows what the six in one screwdriver cost.

A lot of their tools are just regular Earth tools with copper ribs (they look like heatsink fins) added to the outside for extra grip. The grease gun was probably the only special tool.

I suspect the "grease gun" was just a glorified can of WD-40. Ever had one go off in your tool bag and slicken everything up?

NASA estimates the value of the lost tool bag to be about $100,000. How many Miatas could you buy for that?

NYG95GA wrote: NASA estimates the value of the lost tool bag to be about $100,000.

I'm going to start a business where I affix copper fins to common tools

you would be surprised the usefulness of a spatula.

I once used one to cut a a flat tire that had wrapped itself around the axle of the trailer i was towing...at 3am, in the rain, on the side of a major interstate. (worst experience of my life)

After trying to cut a tire and having access to all kinds of knives and saws, I don't know how the hell you did that

so that's how that grease gun ended up coming through my garage roof....